Working on the railroad hand over fist? Probably not

Where did the phrase "hand over fist" come from? The first thing that comes to mind is, back in the late 1800s, they used to hold the railroad spikes and pound them in. The fist holds the spike. I know it's lame, but I love trains.

Gee, it's been years and years since I rode on a train, except for our light rail. I'm thinking of taking a train trip to a reunion next summer, partially because I don't want to drive that far and partially because I would rather eat my cellphone than fly.

Also, while I dislike the phrase "bucket list," one thing I always wanted to do is travel by train in a sleeping compartment. You know, with the fold-down bed and everything. I wonder if they still do that. It would be extremely cool.

Anyway, "hand over fist" doesn't have anything to do with railroads. I did find one source that said it may date way back to when they stamped coins by hand, but most of the stuff I read said it is an old nautical term and has to do with the way you handle a rope -- and, of course, sailing ships had ropes out the kazoo.

If you were pulling on a rope to hoist the mainsail or run out the guns or trim the scuttlebutt or whatever it is sailors do, you would grab the rope and pull with a fist while you reached over with the other hand to take a new grip.

And if you had bothered to read Seba Smith's 1833 book, "The Life and Writings of Major Jack Downing," you would have read the phrase, "They ... clawed the money off of his table, hand over fist."